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Thousands visit '1001 Inventions' in New York

7 December 2010, New York — The record-breaking 1001 Inventions exhibition has landed in North America at the world renowned New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) and has already attracted several thousand visitors on its US debut.

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7 December 2010, New York — The record-breaking 1001 Inventions exhibition has landed in North America at the world renowned New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) and has already attracted several thousand visitors on its US debut. The exhibition's US premiere was highly anticipated after it enjoyed blockbuster runs in both London and Istanbul, attracting 400,000 people in each city and thousands have already visited the attraction.

American media accompany the opening of "1001 Inventions" exhibition in New York. Reporter Clyde Haberman from The New York Times published on December 6, 2010 an elogious article "In This Show, an Islamic World Brimming with Innovation", in which in particular, he stated that the exhibition "1001 Inventions" focuses on a time when the Muslim world was an incubator for ideas in science and technology (read the article in PDF).

The 1001 Inventions exhibition, which highlights the scientific legacy of Muslim civilization in our modern age, made its United States debut at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) on the 4th of December 2010 at a special event attended by local media, academics and philanthropists, including Mohammed Jameel, patron of Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI).

1001 Inventions reveals the forgotten history of men and women of many different faiths and backgrounds whose contributions to the advancement of scholarship and technology during the Middle Ages helped pave the way for the European Renaissance. This period of history from the 7th through 17th centuries is commonly–though, often erroneously—referred to as the "Dark Ages."

At the launch event, Dr. Margaret Honey, President and CEO of NYSCI, said: "Science is a universal language that has a unique power to pull people together. This exhibition reveals fascinating bits of history and a shared scientific inheritance. 1001 Inventions is about scholarship, inspiration and discovery among men and women from many cultures, making NYSCI an ideal venue for the U.S. debut — a hands-on science and technology centre in the most diverse city in the country." Dr. Honey also thanked the 1001 Inventions project and its sponsor ALJCI for opening the exhibition's US tour at NYSCI.

Professor Salim Al-Hassani, Chairman of 1001 Inventions, said, "The New York Hall of Science is the first U.S. venue to host this global exhibition. We're privileged to be working with such an accomplished and respected educational institution. The 1001 Inventions exhibition has had phenomenal success in London and Istanbul, with audiences of more than 400,000 people visiting the exhibition in each city. The number of visitors for the New York residency is already in the thousands and we're aiming to reach hundreds of thousands more during the US leg of our world tour."

The 1001 Inventions exhibition at NYSCI runs from the 4th of December 2010 to the 24th of April 2011. Admission to 1001 Inventions is free with regular NYSCI admission ($11 adults, $8 children and seniors.)